Petticoat



Aug. 27, 1968 G. F. HERBERT 3,398,407

PETTICOAT Filed Aug. ll, 1966 2 Shees-Shee'(I l Gladys E Hebert INVENTOR.

Aug 27, 1968 G. F. HERBERT 3,398,407

PETTICOAT Filed Aug. 1l, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

54 "f BY United States Patent O1 3,398,407 Patented Aug. 27, 1968 ice 3,398,407 PETTICOAT, Gladys F. Herbert, P.O. Box 625, Hilo, Hawaii 96720 Filed Aug. 11, 1966, Ser. No. 571,789 6 Claims. (Cl. 2--211) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A petticoat consisting of a circular top skirt or foundation having a plurality of parallel tubular sections or portions equally spaced from each other and joined in ungathered position to the undersurface of the circular top skirt. The tubular sections are of decreasing length from the inner to the outer section and constructed to have the lower free edges parallel to the bottom of the circular top skirt or foundation when in a static position. The innermost tubular section has a diameter and is so arranged as to encompass the wearer comfortably and allow freedom of leg movement. The tubular sections are straight and parallel and cannot exp'and beyond a right angle in relation to the circular top skirt or foundation when in an extended whirling position thus forming a cylinder at all times. Inasmuch as the tubular sections cannot expand beyond the top applied diameters, this insures protection from visible exposure of the wearers torso and upper legs.

The present invention generally appertains to improvements in ladies wearing apparel and, more particularly, relates to novel improvements in an undergarment in the nature of a petticoat which is adapted to be worn beneath a dress and to novel improvements over the petticoat construction disclosed in my prior Patent No. 3,039,114, issued Iune 19, 1962.

In such patent, a petticoat is disclosed which comprises in combination a pantalette having a waistband and a plurality of overlying circular pieces or annular bands of cloth attached to and overlying the pantalette, the series of circular pieces or annular bands being of progressively smaller diameter from the uppermost circular piece to the lowermost one. The outermost piece of cloth has the edges of the waist opening thereof extending around the waistband of the pantalette and secured thereto and the succeeding pieces of `cloth have the edges of their openings disposed in vertically spaced relation and secured to the pantalette in spaced relationship. The series of circular pieces or annular bands of cloth are in detached relationship and are secured to the pantalette so that they are free to swirl outwardly and assume substantially horizontal positions, the pantalette enclosing and concealing the legs and lower torso of the wearer, as the wearer twirls or spins, particularly in executing various dance maneuvers or steps.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a petticoat which is constructed so that pantalettes are no required, whereby the petticoat is much cooler and more comfortable for wear, and yet to form the petticoat in such a manner that at least one portion thereof will assume a generally horizontal swirled position while other portions thereof constantly remain in leg encompassing and concealing positions.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a petticoat which is primarily constructed for wear by dancers and which will enable the skirt or dress of the dancer to swirl outwardly into substantially a horizontal position along with at least one part of the petticoat but with other parts of the petticoat remaining in an er1- circling or encompassing relationship with the lower torso and legs of the person wearing the petticoat, so that such portions of the wearers body `are not exposed to View, even though a pantalette, pantie or the like type of underwear is not worn in conjunction with the petticoat.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a petticoat which essentially comprises an outer circular skirt p'ortion of material, having a waist portion that encircles the waist of a wearer, and having an underside to which are attached straight tubular, independent sections or layers of material, with the tubular layers or sections being attached so that they depend in a staggered arrangement from the outer skirt portion, when the outer skirt portion assumes a generally horizontal swirled position, substantially at right angles 4to the horizontally disposed outer skirt portion.

Another important object of the present invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, quite feminine and very efficient petticoat, which can be comfortably worn and which is compactly formed so that it can be easily .packed for traveling or storage purposes.

These together with other objects and advantages which will become subsequently apparent reside in the details of construction and operation as more fully hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forming a part hereof, wherein like numerals refer to like parts throughout, and in which:

FIGURE l is a perspective view of the petticoat of the present invention, showing the same on a wearer, with the petticoat in a normal or static state;

FIGURE 2 is a view, similar to FIGURE 1, but showing the p'etticoat in a whirling position;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the interior of the petticoat, showing the details of construction thereof;

FIGURE 4 is a view, similar to FIGURE 3, but showing the petticoat in a whirling position;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged detailed vertical sectional view taken substantially on line 5 5 of FIGURE 3, and;

yFIGURE 6 is a fragmentary, vertical detailed sectional view taken substantially on line 6 6 of FIGURE 3.

Referring now more particularly to the accompanying drawings, the numeral 10 generally designates the petticoat of the present invention. The petticoat comprises a circular outer or skirt portion l12, which is provided with a center, circular opening 14, that is defined by an annular, upstanding waistband 16. The waistband 16 of the outer circular portion 12 has a substantially U-shaped reinforcing strip 18 folded thereover, with the band 16 being folded upon itself and the -opposing portions of the reinforcing band 18 yand folded portions of the band 16 being in superimposed relationship and being commonly secured together by stitching 20.

The outer circular portion has a lower circular bottom edge 22 to which a rutile 24 is `attached by stitching 26. The -outer circular p'ortion 12 is preferably substantially at but may be somewhat gathered. It is provided with the reinforced waist engaging or encircling band and is adapted to assume a substantially horizontal swirled position, when the wearer, as shown in FIGURE 2, twirls or spins around.

A series of straight, ungathered tubular layers or portions of material is attached to the inside of the outer or skirt portion 12, as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4. In this respect, the series 28 is so constructed and attached to the inner surface of the skirt portion, that the tubular portions retain their straight body encircling or encompassing cylindrical positions, Ias shown in FIGURES 3 and 4, irrespectve of the position that the outer or skirt portion 12 may assume. The tubular portions comprising the series 28 are stitched to the skirt portion 12 when the skirt portion is in its horizontal swirled position shown in FIG- URE 5. Thus, when the skirt portion 12 is in the normal downhanging position of FIGURE 3, the tubular portions of the series 28 will be somewhat undulated as in conventional in full skirted garments.

The series 28 includes an innermost tubular section 30 and an outermost tubular section 32, with tubular sections 34, 36 and 38 being interposed therebetween. The innermost tubular section 30 is the one that is disposed in immediate adjacency to the body of the wearer and is the longest section in the series 28. It has an upper edge 40 that is stitched, as at 42, to the inside of the outer -portion or circular skirt portion 12, just below the waistband and in what would be the vicinity of the hips of the wearer, as shown in FIGURE 2.

The portions are of progressively larger diameters from the inside tubular layer or portion 30 to the outermost or outside tubular portion or layer 32, which has its upper edge stitched, as at 44 to the skirt portion, adjacent the lower or bottom edge 22 thereof. The intermediate tubu- -lar portions 34, 36 and 38 are of progressively larger diameters than the inside tubular portion 30 and are stitched, as at 46, 48 and 50, respectively (see FIG. 4), to the inside of the skirt portion at spaced points between the stitching 42 and the stitching 44. The upper edges of the tubular oprtions are disposed in an equally spaced manner `and are stitched in an equally spaced manner from the stitching 42, disposed adjacent the waistband, to the stitching 44, disposed adjacent to the lower bottom edge 22 of the outer or skirit portion 12.

The lower edges of the tubular portions, when the petticoat is in a normal or static position, lie substantially in a common plane and in a plane that i-s substantially co-incident with the plane in which the lower or bottom edge 22 of the outer or skirt portion 12 lies. The lower edges of the tubular portions are Aprovided with rules 52, that are secured thereto by stitching 54, with the ru'les lying coplanar, as shown in FIGURE 3, when the petticoat is in a static or laid down position -on the wearer.

When the wearer whirls or turns around, the outer circular |portion or circular skirt portion 12 assumes a substantially horizontal position but the at, tubular members, remain in substantially vertical positions and are disposed in their concentric relationship, as shown in FIGURE 4, with the tubular portions being raised into higher vertical positions so that the lower ruie edges are in vertically staggered relationship.

However, the innermost tubular layer 30, which is the longest one of the series, completely encompasses and conceals the upper torso and legs of the wearer and the successive outermost concentrically arranged and radially spaced tubular layers or portions also assist in enclosing and concealing the lower torso and legs of the wearer.

Thus, the series of tubular portions, which are straight or flat cannot extend into horizontal positions, even slightly, but, instead, when the outermost portions or skirt portion 12 assumes a substantially horizontally disposed, swirled position, the tubular portions depend therefrom and are disposed substantially at right angles thereto, The tubular portions, as shown in FIGURE 4, remain in substantially vertical positions and are in concentrically spaced relationship'.

In order to prevent sagging on the bias part of the circle of the outermost portion or skirt portion 12 and the series or tubular portions, stays 56, which may be formed from seam tape, ribbon or the like, are provided. The stays are secured to the waistband and underlie the secured upper edges of the tubular portions in the set or series 28, as shown in FIGURES 1 and 3. Each of the stays 56, as shown in FIGURE 5, has an upper end 58, that is secured to the reinforced waistband by the stiching and the stay extends downwardly along the inside of the outer portion or skirt portion 12 and underlies the 4 secured edges of the tubular portions. Thus, as shown in FIGURE 5, the stay 56 is inserted between the secured upper edge of the innermost tubular portion 30 .and the inside of the outer portion or skirt portion 12 and is held in place by the stiehing 46. The says are similarly associated with and secured between the joined upper ends of the other tubular layers or portions of the series 28 and the inner side of the skirt portion by the lines of stiching 44, 46, 48 and 50, as shown in dotted lines in FIGURE 1.

It can :be appreciated that the outer portion or skirt portion 12 of the petticoat can assume a generally horizontally disposed, swirled position, beneath a dress or outer skirt, while the tubular portions will retain their vertical positions and will merely be shifted from a lower position, as shown in FIGURE 3, when the lower ruflled ends are coplanar yand the attached upper ends are in vertically staggered relation from a point on the inside of the skirt portion adjacent the waistband to a point adjacent the lower or bottom edge 22 thereof, into a position, as shown in FIGURE 4, wherein the tubular portions are still in concentrically disposed arrangement but the upper stitched edges Vare substantially in the same plane, while the lower milled ends are in vertically staggered relationship in an outermost direction from the lower end of the innermost tubular layer 30 to the outermost tubular layer 32.

The foregoing is considered as illustrative only of the principles of the invention. Further, since numerous modications and changes will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is not desired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operation shown and described, and accordingly all suitable modications and equivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed as new is as follows:

1. A petticoat comprising Aan outer circular skirt p'ortion having a central opening provided with a waistband and having a lower edge, said skirt portion being adapted to swirl outwardly from a downhanging static position into a substantially horizontally disposed swirled position in relation to a wearers lbody 4and a series of flat Concentrically arranged cylindrical sections of progressively larger diameter and including an innermost section and an outermost section, said innermost section having an upper edge secured to the inside of the skirt portion outwardly of the waistband when in swirled position and the outermost section having an upper edge secured to the inside of the skirt portion inwardly of the outer edge thereof when in swirled position, the series further including independent sections disposed between the innermost and the outermost sections and having upper edges secured to the inside of the skirt portion at horizontally spaced points between the secured upper edge of the innermost section and the secured upper edge of the outermost section, said :cylindrical sections encompassing the lower torso .and legs of a wearer in straight vertical positions irrespective of the static downhanging or swirled horizontally disposed position of the skirt portion, whereby the lower torso and legs of the wearer are always concealed.

2. The invention of claim 1, wherein said cylindrical Isections are in overlapping concentric relation and have lower ends which are coplanar when the skirt portion is in a downhanging static position.

3. The invention of claim 1, wherein said cylindrical sections are connected to the skirt portion at right angles thereto when the skirt portion is in an outwardly swirled substantially horizontal position and have lower ends which are in vertically staggered relation from the lower edge of the innermost tubular section to the lower edge of the outermost tubular section.

4. The invention of claim 3, wherein said lower ends are provided with rutlles that substantially overlap in vertical relation when the cylindrical sections are in such swirled position.

5. The invention :of claim 1, wherein stays are provided and are disposed in spaced relation around the inside of the skirt portion and have upper ends secured to the waistband and are secured between the secured upper edges of the cylindrical sections and the inside of the skirt 5 portion.

6. The invention of claim 5 wherein said cylindrical sections vare disposed in spaced parallel relation at right angles to the skirt portion when in swirled position, said sections progressively decreasing in length from the innermost section to the outermost section whereby the lower ends -fof the sections are in vertically and horizontally staggered relation when the skirt -portion is in swirled position.

6 References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 13,238 5/1911 Padernacht 2-211 837,738 12/1906 Schneider 2-211 1,221,198 4/1917 Lutz 2-211 2,851,691 9/1958 Todd etal 2-211 3,039,114 6/1962 Herbert 2-212 FOREIGN PATENTS 10 2,006 of 1910 Great Britain.

PATRICK D. LAWSON, Primary Examiner.

H. HAMPTON HUNTER, Examiner.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE 0F CORRECTION Patent No. 3,398,407 August 27, 196s Gladys F. Hebert It is certified that error appears in the above identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shovm below:

In the heading to the drawings, Sheets l and 2, line l, and 1n the heading to the printed specification, line 3, "Herbert" should read Hebert Signed and sealed this 3rd day of February 1970.

(SEAL) Attest:

Edward M. Fletcher, Jr.

Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents WILLIAM E. SCHUYLER, JR. 

